English translation — מאמר יו"ט של ר"ה תשמ"ג

With the help of Heaven.

The night of Erev Rosh Hashanah 5743*

"On Yom Tov of Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat, in the Temple they would blow [the shofar], but not in the provinces."

And it needs to be understood

[as the Tzemach Tzedek, the Admo"r, precisely notes

in his maamar beginning with the words "To understand the reason"],

Now, the blowing of the shofar is a positive Torah commandment, as it is written,

"A day of sounding [the shofar] it shall be for you,"

and how could they nullify

it because of a decree, lest one carry it four cubits in the public domain, etc.

And even more so, there is room for wonder,

for from the fact that in the Temple they would blow [the shofar] even on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat, it is proven that the mitzvah of shofar blowing exists in actuality even on Yom Tov of Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat,

so why did they nullify it outside the Temple, and even in the provinces, because of the decree lest one carry it?

And it also needs to be understood

that the verses of Shofaros are recited even on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat,

for although the recitation of the verses is connected and comes as a continuation of the shofar blowing,

and on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat they do not blow [the shofar] in the provinces,

nevertheless, the recitation of the verses is also [done] on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat.

And he explains this

(in the aforementioned maamar)

based on what is known, that all our mitzvos are

(in order)

that through an arousal from below, there is an arousal from above.

That is,

that what Israel fulfills the mitzvos is in order to effect through them the supernal mitzvos.

For behold, all the supernal mitzvos are made through the fact that the person below fulfills the mitzvos,

as it is written,

"And you shall do them,"

"you" is written,

"I consider it as if you made Me,"

"The 248 positive commandments are the 248 limbs of the King,"

in the aspect of Zeir Anpin,

and the drawing down of light into the vessels of Zeir Anpin, as well as the enlargement of the vessels, is specifically through the fulfillment of the mitzvos by the lower person,

as it is written, "which a person shall do and live by them,"

for the supernal mitzvos are specifically through "which a person shall do,"

soul in body.

For so it is with the mitzvah of shofar blowing,

that through Israel blowing the shofar,

there is thereby effected a supernal shofar blowing.

And with this we explain what is written,

"Blow in the month a shofar,"

for the precise point of the Baal Shem Tov on this is known,

that seemingly it should have said "Blow a shofar in the month,"

and he explains regarding this,

that what is written "Blow in the month"

("in the month" adjacent to "blow")

is,

that "in the month" refers to "blow,"

that each year the blasts must be in a new manner.

And the reason for this,

is that each year the aspect of the shofar is renewed.

And since all the matters above are brought about by the service of the Children of Israel,

according to the teaching of the Maggid

in his explanation of the Mishnah,

"Know what is above from you," that everything that is above, all of it is from you,

therefore the shofar blowing of Israel must be in a new manner, so that through this a new matter will be effected above.

2)

And now, just as it is with the mitzvah of shofar blowing on Rosh HaShanah, that each year it is in a new manner,

so too is it with all the mitzvos,

as our sages said,

"Each day they should be in your eyes like new,"

and even more so, actually new.

However, with shofar blowing,

since it is a mitzvah that encompasses the entire year,

as is known

the reason why it is called "Rosh HaShanah" (Head of the Year)

(and not "Beginning of the Year"),

because it is the head that includes all the days of the year,

this matter is to a greater degree.

And it can be said,

that this matter

(the renewal in shofar blowing)

is the root from which it is drawn that also the mitzvos of the entire year will be new.

For the mitzvah of shofar blowing on Rosh HaShanah, its matter is "that you coronate Me over you,"

and since the manner of the mitzvos is according to the manner of "you coronate Me over you,"

as is understood from our sages' statement,

"Accept My kingship first, and then I will decree decrees upon you,"

therefore, through the shofar blowing being in a new manner, so it is done in all the mitzvos.

For through "Blow in the month," renewal is brought about, as it were, in the attribute of His kingship,

in that He reigns over Israel

("you coronate Me over you"),

and through this also in His kingship over all the worlds

[for this too is done by and for Israel,

that the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfills Israel's request, "Reign over the entire world in Your glory,"

that in this

("the entire world")

are included all the worlds entirely],

that on each Rosh HaShanah new life is drawn into the entire order of the chain of descent,

new life that never yet existed,

as the Alter Rebbe wrote in Iggeres HaKodesh,

and this life is then drawn also throughout all the days of the year,

through the twelve heads of months,

as is explained at length in the book Atteres Rosh of the Mitteler Rebbe.

And so too is it with the mitzvos,

that the matter of renewal in the mitzvos

("each day etc. new")

throughout the entire year,

is drawn from the renewal of shofar blowing on Rosh HaShanah.

3)

And with this will be understood

that on Rosh HaShanah that falls on Shabbat, they do not blow in the provinces,

because what is needed in blowing the shofar on Rosh HaShanah is

(as above)

in order to effect through this the shofar above,

and on Shabbat this aspect

(shofar)

exists without the labor of man.

For it is known,

that on a Festival we say "Who sanctifies Israel and the seasons," that Israel sanctified the seasons,

but Shabbat is sanctified and stands,

and is not dependent on Israel to sanctify it.

Therefore on Shabbat there are many matters that are prepared,

and some of them are in a manner of perfection,

even without the labor of man.

And it is written,

"to make the Shabbat,"

that Israel make the Shabbat,

and so it is written,

"Remember the Shabbat day to sanctify it,"

that Israel need to sanctify the Shabbat.

And the matter is,

that on Shabbat there are two levels,

that Shabbat is sanctified and stands of itself,

and that which Israel add to it through their service.

For Shabbat is the matter of delight,

and nevertheless they said,

"Whoever delights in the Shabbat,"

that they need to delight in the Shabbat,

and so it is written,

"And you shall call the Shabbat a delight,"

that one must call and draw delight into Shabbat,

for through the service of Israel they draw into Shabbat a more elevated delight.

But there is a delight on Shabbat of itself,

from the aspect that Shabbat is sanctified and stands,

and it is a delight in perfection.

For the entirety of the matter of Shabbat is that then perfection is made in all of creation,

as it is written,

"And the heavens and the earth and all their host were completed,"

that "were completed" is the matter of perfection, according to the explanation of the Tzemach Tzedek,

from which it is understood that also the delight of Shabbat

(as it is of itself)

is in perfection.

And this is why on Rosh HaShanah that falls on Shabbat there is not so much necessity to blow the shofar in the provinces.

For the shofar is an aspect of delight,

and as is explained in the maamar,

that "shofar" is from the term "improve your deeds"

and from the term "He who gives words of beauty"

(and also other expressions brought in the maamar there),

whose matter is delight.

And since everything that is above, all of it is from you,

therefore in order that there be the aspect of delight

(shofar)

above,

this is done through the shofar blowing of Israel.

For all this is on Rosh HaShanah that falls on a weekday.

But on Shabbat,

the matter of delight is prepared

(without the labor of man),

to the extent that the delight is in perfection

(as above),

therefore on Rosh HaShanah that falls on Shabbat, the mitzvah of shofar blowing is not in such force

(with all the fuss)

as on Rosh HaShanah that falls on a weekday,

and therefore it is deferred due to the concern that one might carry it etc.

4)

And behold, in addition to this, that through the shofar blast the shofar

(delight)

is made above

(in Zeir Anpin, etc.),

for what is above comes from you,

behold, through the shofar blast they draw the delight

(the aspect of shofar)

into all the worlds entirely,

even into the world of Asiyah.

And as we say in the Rosh Hashanah prayers, "And every deed shall know that You are its Doer, and every creature shall understand that You are its Creator, and all that has breath in its nostrils shall say," etc.,

and it is brought in the Siddur of the Arizal42

that these three expressions refer to the three worlds of Beriah, Yetzirah, and Asiyah

[“Breath in its nostrils” refers to the world of Beriah,

“creature” to the world of Yetzirah, and “deed” to the world of Asiyah],

which are the totality of all the worlds,

and therefore on Rosh Hashanah we say these three expressions, because the drawing down of Rosh Hashanah is in all the worlds entirely,

even into the world of Asiyah.

And this that when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat we do not blow the shofar is because this matter that is accomplished through the shofar blast—

the drawing of delight into all worlds down to the lowest—

on Shabbat is accomplished from the aspect of Shabbat itself.

For it is known that the drawing down of Shabbat is in all the worlds,

even in Asiyah.

And as explained in several discourses

(and among them in the discourses of Rosh Hashanah)43

that the vitality of all the worlds,

even of the world of Asiyah,

on Shabbat is elevated above the vitality of weekdays.

For on weekdays the vitality of the worlds is from the letters of speech,

and on Shabbat their vitality is from the letters of thought.

Thus, Shabbat acts in all the worlds,

even in the physical world.

And this even effects a change in the nature of an ignoramus44,

that on Shabbat

(for by his nature)

he is unable to lie45.

And that in the Temple they would blow the shofar even on Rosh Hashanah that fell on Shabbat

is because the aspect of delight

(the aspect of shofar)

that they drew through the shofar blast in the Temple was more elevated46.

That is, the delight that is drawn through the shofar blast in the provinces is the delight that Shabbat has from itself,

from the aspect that Shabbat is inherently sanctified,

and therefore on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat they do not blow in the provinces,

but not so through the shofar blast in the Temple, they draw an aspect of delight that is more elevated,

which is not in Shabbat from itself

(and this is similar to what was explained above regarding "whoever delights in Shabbat,"

that there is an aspect of delight that is not in Shabbat from itself and is accomplished through the service of Israel),

and therefore in the Temple they would blow the shofar on Rosh Hashanah that fell on Shabbat.

For this aspect is higher than even the aspect of delight of "whoever delights in Shabbat"

(the service of Shabbat)47,

and is drawn only on Rosh Hashanah through the service of the shofar blast.

5)

And the matter is

(as explained in the discourse there48),

that behold, in the delight of mitzvos there are two modes.

The first mode is the delight from having fulfilled the command of the Holy One, blessed be He,

"Who sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us,"

and this delight is equal in all mitzvos,

for since the will is equal in all mitzvos,

consequently the delight that comes from the will is equal in all of them.

And the second mode is the specific delight in each mitzvah,

for in each mitzvah there is a unique delight.

And it is explained in the discourse,

that the specific delight in each mitzvah is more elevated than the delight from the will that is equal in all mitzvos.

For this is a novel point in this discourse.

For elsewhere49

it is explained that the specific intention of each mitzvah is lower in level than the general intention,

and here it explains that the specific delight is more elevated50.

For the delight that is clothed in the will

(which is equal in all mitzvos)

is an aspect of the revelation of delight,

but not so the specific delight in each mitzvah, whose source is from the aspect of the source of delights, which is far above the aspect of the revelation of delight,

and from the aspect of the source of delights an illumination is drawn to each aspect specifically according to its level.

And based on this, it is explained there51

the matter of the shofar, that shofar is a term of delight

("He who gives words of beauty"),

for at first glance it is not understood,

for the matter of delight is specifically when there are several details,

and likewise with the delight in sound

(melody and musical instruments)

it is specifically when there is a combination of several sounds,

and since the shofar is a single sound,

how can it be said to contain delight?

And in practice we see,

that the sound of the shofar contains no delight,

and on the contrary it arouses trembling, as it is written52

"If a shofar is blown in the city, will the people not tremble?"53,

and likewise at the Giving of the Torah it is written54

"And the sound of the shofar was exceedingly strong, and all the people in the camp trembled," and it is written55

"And the people saw and moved and stood from afar,"

for from the greatest and most wondrous revelation in the sound of the shofar upon them, the effluence56

they were in a state of self-nullification

("and stood from afar"),

for trembling and self-nullification are the opposite of delight,

so how can it be said that shofar is a term and matter of delight?

And the explanation of this is

(as explained in the discourse there51),

that the shofar is delight because it is the aspect of the source of delights, which is above the aspect of the revelation of delight.

And therefore no feeling of delight at all is found in the sound of the shofar

(and on the contrary it casts trembling),

because it is above the aspect of revealed delight,

but rather it is from the aspect of the source of delights.

And from this aspect all specific delights are drawn.

For this is what "shofar" is a term for "improve your deeds,"

"your deeds" in the plural,

for through the shofar blast, improvement and delight appropriate to each particular deed are effected in every deed,

for the drawing from the aspect of the source of delights is

(as above)

specifically in a manner of division into details.

And this is also the connection of the shofar to the Giving of the Torah,

and as we say in the Musaf of Rosh Hashanah, "You revealed Yourself... to teach Your people Torah and mitzvos... and with the sound of the shofar You appeared to them,"

for at the Giving of the Torah there was the drawing down of Atzmus,

"I wrote and gave My very soul"57,

the drawing of the aspect of the source of delights, which is above the aspect of the revelation of delight,

and from this was subsequently drawn the delight in the Ten Commandments,

in each particular utterance

(at each and every utterance their souls flew away58)

the delight appropriate to that specific utterance,

and afterward this was drawn in greater particularity to "teach Your people Torah and mitzvos,"

in each and every mitzvah in particular.

6)

And in a similar manner is also the matter of the shofar blowing of Rosh Hashanah,

which is the drawing down from the aspect of the source of delights

(which is above the aspect of the revelation of delight).

For on Rosh Hashanah all things return to their primordial state and every matter must be renewed from its source and first root,

up to the Awtsmoos and Essence.59

And likewise is also the matter of the covenant and bond of the Holy One, blessed be He, with Israel,

that on every Rosh Hashanah the covenant and bond are renewed,

as it is written,60

"You are standing today"

(Rosh Hashanah61)

etc. "to pass into the covenant of the L-rd your G-d,"

that the drawing down of the covenant

(on Rosh Hashanah)

is from the Awtsmoos which is above all revelations.

And it is also understood from the two parables about shofar blowing that were brought in the continuation of "And so it was" of the Admor Maharash,62

one parable in the name of the Baal Shem Tov of a king's son, that by his crying out with a simple voice the king recognized that it was the voice of his only son,

and even though there are no words in the language of the king's country in this,

nevertheless,

specifically this effected a renewal of the bond between the king and his son,

and a second parable from the great gaon and chassid, the Maharil of Berditchev,63

(the well-known and famous Ohev Yisrael64)

about simple garments

(for garments are lower than a simple voice),

that by his wearing specifically the simple garments,

the bond between the king and his friend was renewed.

For the point of the matter understood from these two parables is,

that the renewal of the covenant and bond that occurs on Rosh Hashanah through the shofar blowing is not from the aspect of revelations

[for in a simple voice there is not even [anything] from the language of the king's country,

and all the more so simple garments which are lower than a voice],

but rather,

in a new manner that had never yet existed.65

And this is also the connection and relevance of the shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah with the sound of the shofar that was at the Giving of the Torah

[as brought in the Avudraham in the name of the RaSaG in the reasons for the blasts

(the third matter),

and as also explained in the aforementioned continuation in the parable of the Maharil of Berditchev, that the shofar blowing of Rosh Hashanah is the same garment that was at the Giving of the Torah,

"And it was"66

"the sound of the shofar"],

that just as the sound of the shofar at the Giving of the Torah is a drawing down of the aspect of the source of delights and up to the drawing down of the Awtsmoos as above,

so too is it also regarding the matter of the shofar blowing of Rosh Hashanah,

that the matter of the covenant that is renewed on Rosh Hashanah is from the Awtsmoos,

and likewise the renewal of the desire for the existence of the worlds and for the aspect of kingship that [occurs] through the shofar blowing

(the matter of "make Me king over you"),

since all things return to their primordial state,

is from the Awtsmoos.

And this is also what the beginning of the blessing of Shofaros is about the matter of the Giving of the Torah,

"You were revealed" etc. "on Mount Sinai to teach Your people Torah and mitzvos,"

and they conclude and seal "Who hears the sound of the teruah of His people Israel with mercy,"

and before this, in the blessing of Zichronos, they seal "Who remembers the covenant" which refers

(primarily)

to the covenant of the Holy One, blessed be He, and Israel,

"You are standing today" etc. "to pass into the covenant of the L-rd your G-d,"

and before this, in the blessing of Malchiyos, they conclude "King over all the earth,"

which is accomplished by "make Me king over you,"

and as we say before this

(in the verses)

"King"67

"of Israel and its Redeemer."

And this is68 what [was done] in the Temple, they would also blow [the shofar] on Rosh Hashanah that fell on Shabbat,

for since the matter of the shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah is the drawing down of the aspect of the source of delights which is above the aspect of revelation

(like the sound of the shofar that was at the Giving of the Torah),

this aspect is loftier than the aspect of the delight of Shabbat

(even from the most lofty aspect of Shabbat),

therefore they needed to blow also on Rosh Hashanah that fell on Shabbat.

And that they would blow only in the Temple and not in the [rest of the] country is because the drawing down of this aspect

(the source of delights)

is dependent on the condition of the place,

and therefore specifically in the Holy Temple, where there was G-dliness in revelation,

and to the extent that the revelation in the Temple was in an enclothing69

in the stones of the building

(and similarly in the Mishkan),

it was possible to draw down this aspect.

And therefore in the Temple they would blow even on Rosh Hashanah that fell on Shabbat,

for this aspect

(the source of delights)

is loftier than the aspect of Shabbat,

and even from the aspect of Shabbat as it was in the Temple and on Rosh Hashanah.

7)

And just as it was in the Holy Temple,

so too is it in Torah.

For from the day the Temple was destroyed, the Holy One, blessed be He, has nothing in His world except the four cubits of Halachah alone.70

And therefore we recite the verses of Shofaros even on Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat, even outside the Land [of Israel],

for since Torah is an aspect of the Temple

(and the person who blows and the one who hears,71

"there is no free person except one who engages in Torah"72

(for through engaging in Torah properly, the matter of freedom is achieved, analogous to how it was in the time when the Temple existed)),

therefore, through the recitation of the verses of Shofaros of the Torah, they accomplish

(analogous to)

the same matter that was accomplished through the shofar blowing in the Temple.

And this is done with great joy,

as explained in the continuation of "The Festival of Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat" of my revered father-in-law, the Admor,73

that the coronation of the king is with great joy.

And the aspect of delight that is drawn down through the shofar blowing in the Temple,

and similarly through the verses of Shofaros

(even outside the Land),

is the aspect of the simple delight,

in the manner explained at length in the continuation of "The Festival of Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat" of my revered father-in-law, the Admor

(the Rebbe Rashab)74

regarding the delight that is analogous to the aspect of a day that is entirely Shabbat and rest for the life of the worlds.75

And since everything above is all from You

(as above from the Torah of the Mitteler Rebbe),

therefore it is in the power of every single Jew to do not only all the matters of Hishtalshelus

(even the most lofty matters),

but rather it is in his power to also make the simple delight,

and that this be drawn down also below,

"Reign over the entire world in Your glory" etc. and until "every creature shall know that You have made it,"

and all the more so that there will be the King of Israel

(including)

and its Redeemer,

in the true and complete redemption through our righteous Moshiach,

when they will blow also on the festival of Rosh Hashanah that falls on Shabbat in the Temple and in Yavneh,76

and it may be said that also in every place

(for then all matters of decrees will be nullified),

speedily in our days, literally, and with great joy.